El Dorado Hills Garage Door Repair

Tag: garage door spring repair

  • 3 Garage Door Repairs that Are Not DIY: Hire a Professional Technician!

    You can save money on DIY projects — sometimes. Garage door repair is not one of those times. Trust us. You can cause serious and expensive damage to your garage. And more alarmingly, you can put family members and pets in serious danger. Garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds. They are not to be messed with. Save that repair job for a professional.

    Some garage door repairs are more dangerous than others. Here are a few garage door repairs you should definitely leave to a professional technician. Safety counts!

    Broken Torsion Springs

    Understand that torsion springs under tension can be incredibly dangerous. These springs have a certain lifecycle, typically 10,000, meaning your garage door can go up and down 10,000 times before they need to be replaced, give or take. Assuming that the average door is used 1,000 times a year, most springs will last about 10 years. When it’s time to replace them, always hire a professional.

    Frayed or Broken Cables

    Lift cables work with torsion springs, whereas retaining cables work with extension springs. Like springs, cables are under incredible tension. These are dangerous to work with and require specialized tools to repair safely. Always call a professional to repair cables.

    Roller Replacement

    Rollers are the wheels the garage door moves on to go up and down the track. Shaking or noise in a garage door can be a sign you need new rollers. You’ll need to hire a professional to replace rollers effectively. Ball bearing nylon rollers are your best bet. These rollers are quieter and will help your garage door open smoother.

  • How Much Will My Garage Door Repair Cost?

    Aside from your car, your garage door is probably the heaviest moving object in your home. We use it thousands of times per year, and it weighs hundreds of pounds. So, is it any wonder your garage opener tends to wear out over time?  

    With this in mind, one of the first questions that’s going to go into your head when the garage door breaks is: How much are these repairs going to cost?

    The answer is… it depends. Garage repairs can range anywhere from less than $100 to over $700, depending on the nature and complexity of the repair and condition of your garage door. Generally, the more preventative maintenance you do on your garage door, the better shape it will be in, and the less you’ll spend on garage door repair overall.

    Factors that Affect Garage Door Repair Cost

     Garage repair costs depend on a number of factors. There are normal failures, such as a worn-out torsion springs, which tend to be a bit less expensive than breakage caused by catastrophic damage such as a car running directly into the garage door. Parts are usually a big part of the expense, especially during routine replacements such as springs or rollers. Labor costs can also rack up when there are additional problems diagnosed while your garage’s repairs are underway. A garage repair professional is really who you want to talk to when assessing the specific cause(s) of your garages door’s problem and how much those repairs are likely to run.Reasons for Garage Door Repair

    There’s as many reasons to repair a garage door as there are working parts in it.. One common issue to think about are the tracks being out of alignment, which could then cause the whole garage door to come out of alignment. If the door or track are not damaged in the process, garage door tracks alone are a fairly inexpensive repair that will mainly cost you labor. However, if over time the garage tracks break, or the door goes completely out of alignment, the additional labor and parts can add up. Noisy garage doors on the other hand could be simply the result of worn rollers. The cost to replace rollers is not expensive, so most of the cost will again be related to labor.

    Spring repair is another common need for garage door repair. You can pretty easily identify worn garage springs visually, however this one absolutely does not fall in the DIY category. These springs are under tremendous tension. They can easily cause severe bodily injury if they suddenly snap.

    Common Garage Door Repair Costs

    As mentioned before, the costs of garage repairs are unique to each individual home’s situation. However, we can ballpark some of the costs for individual parts with their labor to give you a general gist of how much your garage’s repairs are going to cost you: 

    1. Springs $150-$375

    Your garage’s torsion springs work as a counterbalance for your door, allowing it to easily open and close. You’ll know your springs are failing if your garage door is shaky while opening and closing or making straining sounds. Complete failure may even see the garage slam shut while in use. Not recommended for DIY repairs, as the springs are under heavy torque.

    1. Cable $100- $375

    Garage cables attach to your spring to allow the garage to move up and down. Cables can generally be visually inspected to see if they are failing, fraying for instance is a bad sign. If a cable snaps while in use your garage door may slam shut on who or whatever is unlucky enough to be below. As cables are part of your spring system it is also not recommended for DIY repairs.

    1. Track $125-$400

    Garage tracks guide your garage door to ensure all weight and pressure is properly balanced. Grinding sounds are a common symptom as your roller tries to smoothly move along your broken track. Mentioned earlier, garage tracks aren’t particularly expensive to repair. The caveat here is that the cause of the track’s damage will likely have to be rectified as well. Garage repair professionals have the experience required to quickly diagnose these additional issues.

    1. Roller $90-$200

    The wheels of garage rollers move along the track as you open and close your door. The aforementioned grinding noise is characteristic of issues with your roller, though this could involve an issue with your track as well.

    1. Sensor $110-$200

    Garage sensors are wired to the opener and ensures that the door will not close on top of anyone or anything. Often issues with the sensor wind up being a misalignment or dirt issue that can be rectified with a bit of DIY work. However, if your sensor is indeed broken a garage repair professional is a good call as an improperly installed sensor can be a safety hazard.

    Need Garage Door Repair in El Dorado Hills?

    Need garage door repairs in El Dorado Hills? Don’t hesitate to call! We offer 24/7 emergency garage door repair on both residential and commercial overhead doors. We also do garage door installation and maintenance. All of our work is certified, insured and guaranteed.

  • Noisy Garage Door? 6 Steps to Quiet It Down

    Have a noisy garage door? That can be so annoying. And it’s not like it’s making you any friends in the neighborhood. A noisy garage door could be a sign you need a completely new door. Some doors get old, rusty and just need replaced with a new garage door installation. But most likely the door can be repaired to quiet it down. Preventative maintenance goes a long way. It’s amazing what you can do with a can of oil and a lug wrench. Most of these repairs are DIY. Here are 6 things you can do to quiet down your noisy garage door with easy garage door repair.

    Tighten Any Loose Parts

    The first thing you should do is take a lug wrench and tighten down any loose parts that might be rattling on your garage door. You’ll want to tighten any hinges, bolts, etc. You should also tighten the opener chain according to the instructions in your garage door manual.

    Lubricate the Door

    Next, take a garage door lubricant to all the moving parts of your garage door — including the rollers, along the track, the chain and the springs. Use a paint brush to get in all the cracks and be sure to use a paper towel or cloth to catch the drips. Avoid using WD-40 however. This can cause your door to prematurely rust. Only oil your garage door with an approved garage door lubricant available at most hardware stores.

    Test the Door Balance

    Disconnect the garage door from the opener. Open the door up halfway and allow it to hang in midair. Does it lean to one side or another? If so, your door is off balance. This can put excess drag on that side of the garage door, which contributes to the noise. Contact a garage door repair professional to balance the door properly.

    Check the Type of Garage Door Opener You Have

    The type of garage door opener you have can be a big factor in how noisy it operates. Chain driven openers are inexpensive but very noisy. Consider installing a new garage door opener that is either belt driven or direct drive. These types of openers may cost more but the peace and quiet is worth it.

    Inspect Your Springs

    Older rusty springs can make an irritating sound on your garage door. You should have the springs inspected and replace if needed. Always have your garage door springs replaced by a professional. They are under an incredible amount of tension and can cause serious bodily injury if they suddenly snap.

    Call a Professional

    If your door is still too noisy, call a garage door professional for an assessment. He or she may be able to suggest other affordable solutions to help dampen the sound such as anti-vibration pads or nylon rollers. It’s also possible it’s just time for a new door. Garage doors aren’t designed to last forever. You should consider installing a new garage door every 15 to 25 years.

  • Understanding the Difference Between Oil Tempered & Zinc Galvanized Torsion Springs

    Understanding the Difference Between Oil Tempered & Zinc Galvanized Torsion Springs

    Understanding-the-Difference-Between-Oil-Tempered-&-Zinc-Galvanized-Torsion-SpringsYou probably haven’t given much thought to the torsion springs on your garage door. Most people don’t even know what they are. In a nutshell, they are the springs mounted horizontally above the door opening. They are attached to cables at the bottom corners of the door. These cables cause the springs to wind up to sustain stored energy. Torsion springs are the most common springs you’ll find on garage doors.

    There are generally two types of torsion springs: oil tempered and zinc galvanized.

    Oil tempered springs are the most common. They’ve been around for a long time. The advantage of these springs is they tend to keep their tension for a long time. Their main drawback is they are very prone to rust, which can cause the spring to break down and need replacement sooner.

    Most people think you need to tighten your springs pretty often. This isn’t necessarily true. The bottom line is that springs have a natural life span in how often they can be wound. The more often you wind your springs, the faster they’ll wear out. A good rule is to go for springs that have a long lifecycle.

    Zinc galvanized springs are pretty. They don’t rust. But they also don’t last as long. And they tend to make a lot of noise. There is this weird cranking sound as they roll down that can be pretty aggravating, especially when you’ve just been in rush hour traffic.

    A Word on Lifecycle

    Like your heart, springs can last longer the better they are taken care of. You can improve both types of springs with cycle life conversion tools. The best types will get you at least 20,000 conversions. But with a longer life cycle, the size of the wire increases. So you don’t want to go too high on the lifecycle — or you’ll pay through the roof.

    Replace Other Parts with Springs

    If you are replacing your garage door springs, it’s also a good idea to replace your bearings and cables while you’re at it. These tend to have a lower life cycle than the springs, so when you replace everything you are starting off with a blank slate. Why not just get it all out of the way?